Vertical and temporal distribution of nitrogen and phosphorus and relationship with their influencing factors in aquatic-terrestrial ecotone: a case study in Taihu Lake, China.

Vertical and temporal distributions of N and P in soil solution in aquatic-terrestrial ecotone (ATE) of Taihu Lake were investigated, and the relations among N, P, ORP (oxidation reduction potential), TOC, root system biomass and microorganism were studied. As a whole, significant declines in TN, NO3- -N, DON (dissolved organic nitrogen) and TP concentration in soil solution have occurred with increase of the depth, and reached their minima at 60 cm depth, except for NH4+ -N, which increased with depth. The concentration of TP increased gradually from spring to winter in the topsoil, the maximum 0.